| The 20th in the critically acclaimed Ethiopiques series, Live in Addis takes Ethiopiques - and Ethio-jazz - to a new place. The Either/Orchestra, a 10-piece jazz orchestra based in Boston, are among the first non-Ethiopian artists to become serious interpreters of Ethiopian music over the last eight years. Recorded live at a historic concert, it was the first performance by a U.S. big band in Ethiopia since Duke Ellington in 1973.
The results blend state-of-the-art playing and an exotic, captivating Ethiopian program into a kind of Buena Vista Social Club Addis-style, featuring several Ethiopian elder statesmen performing with a big band for the first time since the 1960s, and two younger singers doing so for the first time. Inspired by the great Ethiopian pop and jazz of the '60s and '70s, the E/O has brought the full array of modern jazz and Afro-Cuban innovations to an Ethiopian repertoire. “I have seen the future of big band music, and it is this 10-piece from Boston.” – Chicago Tribune
“This amazing ensemble does just about everything right.” – Village Voice
“Boston’s Either/Orchestra...consistently displays a hip, forward-thinking approach...in an era of jazz neoclassicism, the E/O salutes the past while embracing the future.” – Philadelphia Weekly |
ARTISTS
Either/Orchestra: Russ Gershon (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jeremy Udden (alto saxophone); Henry Cook (baritone saxophone); Tom Halter, Colin Fisher (trumpet); Joel Yennior (trombone); Gregory Burk (piano, keyboard); Rick Mclaughlin (bass guitar); Harvey Wirht (drums); Vicente Lebron (congas, percussion). Additional personnel: Michael Belayneh, Bahta G. Hewot, Tsedenia G. Markos (vocals); Getachew Mekurya (tenor saxophone); Malatu Astatke (vibraphone, timbales, percussion) |